


Rings of Power

by AshWinterGray



Series: Earth 132 [8]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Green Lantern (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Titans (Comics)
Genre: Blue Lanterns (DCU), F/M, Friendship, Hope, Reality Bending, Red Lanterns (DCU), Rescue Missions, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray
Summary: The startling realization that Kyle Rayner has been missing for months, and no one investigated has caused turmoil among the Lanterns, but with a war raging, they haven't had the time to send anyone to investigate. Until now. Now, Hal Jordan has teamed up with Carol Ferris and a few of our favorite Titans to get answers, and to bring their friend home.They just don't realize they're in for more than they bargained for.
Relationships: Carol Ferris/Hal Jordan, Connor Hawke & Kyle Rayner, Emiko Queen & Connor Hawke, Garth & Dick Grayson & Roy Harper & Donna Troy & Wally West, Kyle Rayner & Jason Todd & Donna Troy, Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Roy Harper & Koriand'r, Roy Harper & Koriand'r & Jason Todd, Roy Harper/Donna Troy
Series: Earth 132 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956985
Comments: 12
Kudos: 39





	1. Headlights

The rain had been heavy that night, but the family hadn’t cared. They should have. Matthew Vaughn was driving, singing along to the radio, completely off key, but none of the family had cared. They were all doing the same. Danica Vaughn was rolling her eyes fondly. In the left middle seat, their oldest son, Felix Vaughn, had started the terrible singing when an old 80’s classic had come on five songs ago. The youngest son, Jordan Vaughn just three years old, was in the right middle seat, fast asleep. In the back left seat was their second son, Brandon. It was a two hour drive back home after the family had spent the day at an amusement park. They were tired but in good spirit. And in the right back seat, was Anika Vaughn, just fifteen.

Anika who had not been singing along with her family, noticed the truck first.

“DAD! LOOK OUT!”

The truck was skidding towards them across a ramp, and the next thing Anika knew the car was being thrown off the cliff flipping in the air. It had hit the left side of the car. It was one of the few things Anika remembered, but she knew the car tumbling down the cliff side caused the most damage.

It was nearly twenty hours before rescue came, by that point, Anika knew her dad and oldest brother were dead. Her mother had stopped talking, her second brother was unresponsive, and the only sound Anika could hear was that of her little brothers quite sniffles, his wails having long tampered off.

Anika Vaugh was only fifteen when she pulled out of the rubble. She was only fifteen when her father and older brother were confirmed to have died instantly. Her mother had died shortly before their rescue. Her second brother had died in surgery. It was just Anika and Jordan.

Jordan had been saved by the car seat, but that same car seat had crushed Anika’s legs.

That was four years ago, and now, Anika Vaughn was nineteen, living in her apartment, and working at a local grocery store. While movement had returned to her left leg, the right was forever going to have issues, and Anika found herself using crutches, and occasionally a wheel chair.

Her phone rang at her bedside.

“Hello, Grandma,” Anika greeted easily. “How are you?”

_“How am I? How am I? Anika, it’s been three days! Where have you been, my little warrior?”_

Anika winced. “Sorry, grandma, something came up. I’m about to go apologize to Harry for missing work.”

_“No calls. No letters. No emails. Not even a single stupid text. You have been gone three days. Three! I had half a mind to call the police!”_

Her grandma would never. They both knew it. She still didn’t trust the police after what they did to Jordan. Anika didn’t trust them either.

“I know, grandma, I’m sorry,” Anika glanced down at her hand, specifically, her new accessory. “But, listen, grandma, I’m going to be away for a bit.”

_“How long is ‘a bit’ young lady?”_

“I don’t know.”

_“Are you being blackmailed? Do I need to call Weston?”_

“NO!” Anika protested. “No. No grandma, I am not being blackmailed. I’ve just…I’ve got a big opportunity now, grandma. Maybe it will help me get better. But you have to trust me, okay? Please. There is no need to call Uncle Weston.”

_“Okay. Okay, my little warrior. You know I just worry about you. Call me when you can.”_

“I will, grandma,” Anika promised. “I swear.”

Phone call concluded, Anika reached for her crutches and began to stand. It would be a long trip to San Francisco, and Anika didn’t have much time. She glanced once more to the new accessory she had gotten three days ago.

It hummed on her hand, encouraging her to act. Showing her hope.

But first, she had to find hope for someone else. Then she could find her brother.

\-----------------------------

Jason was in San Francisco for one reason and one reason only.

“Are you telling me Kyle has been missing for three months now, and NO ONE HAS REPORTED IT!?”

Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris looked away. That only served to make Jason angrier. Kyle Rayner was a stand up guy. Brilliant. An amazing friend. Even when others turned their back on Jason, Kyle still held out hope that Jason was a good person. He wasn’t nearly as close a friend as Roy had been, but Jason admired Kyle. So when Kori had called him to come meet the Lanterns.

“Jason,” Kori placed a hand on his arm. “We’re all worried. And Kyle does have a sector to watch.”

“I don’t think you get it, Kori,” Jason hissed, though it was directed at Hal and Carol. “Kyle has been missing for just over three months, and the Lantern Corps knew it. They chose _not_ to react on the basis that Kyle’s ring hadn’t declared him _dead_.”

Jason point was proven by the fact that Hal couldn’t even look him in the eyes. He couldn’t look any of them in the eyes.

“The Lantern Corps made a mistake,” Carol steeled herself, locking eyes with Jason. “We’re all painfully aware of what this could mean. Which is why we’ve come to ask for help.”

“So you know where he is?” Jason pressed, none of the Titans daring to say anything.

“No, but we know where his location last went off,” Carol stated back. “We’ll need help. Given that Batman has a daughter now, we were hoping Nightwing or Red Robin could come act as our detective.”

While it was true that Bruce was spending more time with Helena, Jason had to be grateful that Hal and Carol had come _here_ first. Bruce was more likely to take time and come straight on the mission, even with a daughter at home. As for Dick and Tim, well…Dick was currently trying to find Ra’s al Ghul, and Tim was on a sabbatical with Steph, Gar, Cassie, Kon, Bart, Raven, and a few people Jason couldn’t remember.

“They’re occupied.”

“I noticed,” Hal finally turned to see Jason, gaze steeled. “We’ll figure it out.”

_Forgive me, Helena. I’m about to be stupid without you._

“I’ll go.”

“Then I will go as well,” Kori declared to the Lanterns. “I may not care for the Lanterns, but Jason and Kyle are my friends, I would not leave either alone to suffer.”

Having Kori by his side, it would be like old times. Jason couldn’t help but smile at his best friend. A smile she gladly returned. Plus the jab at the Lanterns and their messed up ways was a nice touch.

“I’ll go.”

Jason’s head whipped around at the familiar voice, eyes widening in shock. Of all the people Jason thought would ever be teamed up with him, she was the _last_ person he ever suspected would step forward. Then again, Kyle was a close friend of hers too.

Donna Troy locked eyes with him and gave a nod. A sign that despite his last betrayal, she was willing to try this teamwork thing again. Jason hadn’t let himself talk to Donna in so long, he wasn’t sure how to react to her. He wasn’t sure if she had ever forgiven him, and he hadn’t been about to ask Roy to find out for him. Or Kori.

“I’ll go too,” Wally volunteered. “I think it’s about time I get my legs going again.”

Jason had a feeling that this was a violent breech of Wally’s recovery, but he also knew that Wally was going stir crazy. Dick had mentioned that trying to get Wally back in the field had been a step by step process that had everyone on edge, especially the speedster himself.

“I guess we have our team, then,” Carol smiled brightly to the group of volunteers. “Thank you, all of you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason huffed. “Let’s just save Kyle first, and then you can thank us. Knowing that idiot, he got himself involved in some big mess we’re going to have to clean up.”

\-----------------------------

“They are coming for you at last, Lantern.”

Silence.

“Does that not give you hope? Do you feel love? Perhaps the will to keep fighting.”

Kyle Rayner felt a spark of those emotions, yes, but he had quickly learned to suppress them like one of the Bats. He had to. Even if he felt relief that someone was coming, he could not hope. Even if he was pleased someone loved him enough to save him, he dare not love them back. Even if there was a promise that someone would come, he dare not let his will push him to last long enough.

The Anti-Monitor glowered at him.

“You cannot keep your emotions in check for long, Lantern,” the Anti-Monitor hissed. “It will destroy you otherwise.

_Joke was on him because Kyle was going to do exactly that._

“You will cave, Lantern,” the Anti-Monitor finally turned away, relieving Kyle of the disgusting bad breath. “And when you do, I will take your power.”

Now if only Kyle could figure out why a being from a literal sixth dimension that was supposedly all powerful would want the power of the Lanterns. He had plenty of time to wait, after all. There was no telling when the rescue would arrive, or even if it would at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! I am back!!! Few, that took a lot of writing!!!
> 
> Not to worry, the first book is done with major editing, but still needs a few tweaks. I need to edit a few chapters in books 2, still, but that's mostly done. And book 3 will be short. 
> 
> If you aren't satisfied with this book, then please wait till I finish posting this book for the end note where I will explain what is to come. (And if I forget to explain, someone please let me know. I forgot to do that once and it was messy)


	2. The Trouble With Lanterns

“I hope you don’t mind…”

“Not at all,” Hal waved off at Kori’s hesitance. “Actually, I’m grateful you have this ship. It’ll make it easier for us to travel with all of you.”

“No other Lanterns are getting involved?” Jason questioned

Hal shifted, an action that didn’t escape Jason’s notice. “Unfortunately, John and Guy got called away to an all-out war, and they pulled me away from that war because Kyle was missing.”

“So how did Carol get involved,” Wally motioned to the woman. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Carol shook her head. “I’m aware of my reputation, but Hal came to the Star Sapphires because he hoped we would be able to feel Kyle’s love. He is the White Lantern, after all, and in tune with each of his emotions.”

“My plan was to go to the Blue Lanterns first, but Saint Walker is the only one still alive, and that meant no one knew how to find him,” here, Hal sighed. Clearly this was an issue between all of the Lanterns. “And because Carol and I are lo-allies, I was hoping she would be able to help.”

That had to sting, and judging by the subtle flinch Carol gave, it certainly had. But she plowed on.

“The thing is, we can’t find _anything_ from Kyle Rayner. No hope. No love. No anger. It’s like he’s vanished completely.”

“Or he’s pulling a Bat,” Jason turned to Hal. “If he believed the situation is dire enough, Kyle might have completely shut himself down.”

“That was my thought too,” Hal agreed. “Problem is, shutting down like that can destroy a person, especially for someone like Kyle.”

“And it’s been _three months_ ,” Jason hissed. “What have you gotten yourself into, Rayner?”

“Then we had best begin our search,” Kori motioned to her ship. “We have much to do, and very little time to do so if we wish to bring our friend home in one piece.”

Put that way, they needed to get a move on.

It felt odd to Jason to walk onto the ship without Roy. He made sure to enter last so he could take a moment to brace himself for the loss of his friend. Kori was waiting for him, a knowing, pained smile on her face.

He needed to get over himself. Roy would want him too. Would want him to move on and save Kyle. He took a breath and stepped onto the ship that had been like a home to him not that long ago. It felt like it had been a lifetime.

“Welcome home,” Kori told him as he joined the other.

Jason was beyond grateful for the mask because he could have broken down right there, and he would have been embarrassed by the single tear that fell if it weren’t stopped by the thing. Of course, nothing fell from his eyes. And he ignored the gently squeeze to the shoulder Carol Ferris gave him.

They had a job to do.

\-------------------------------

“I just…figured you should know,” Emiko Queen was telling her nephew (which was such an odd thing to say when the man before him was literally older than him). “Ollie mentioned that Kyle was your friend, and if I had realized they were going to leave so soon, I would have called sooner.”

“Thanks, Em,” Connor Hawke ruffled her hair. “It’s the thought that counts, right? I’m glad you told me, at least.”

Bonding with the other Arrows had been…interesting…to say the least. With Damian abandoning Robin, and the Teen Titans disbanding, it was an odd feeling to have to interact with her brother’s family. She loved Dinah, and Mia was nice, but Emiko hadn’t even gotten the chance to meet Roy Harper, and Cissie King-Jones was practically an urban legend. She was spending more time with the Titans than with anyone else, mostly because Wallace was part of the Titans, and Jon, though older, had been pretty cool too, and he joined the Titans to hang out with Kon.

Calling Connor, her nephew who was _older_ than her, had been a step Emiko hadn’t had the guts to take before.

“So, what now?”

“Guess we wait,” Connor shrugged. “Can’t really get into space any other way.”

“Not necessarily,” came a voice from behind them.

The two turned to see Jon Lane Kent standing in the doorway with M’gann M’orzz. The Martian gave a friendly wave to the two.

“Sorry I overheard your conversation,” Jon admitted sheepishly. “But M’gann was telling me about her Bio-ship, and we thought we could help out.”

“I’ve been meaning to get the Bio-ship out and about anyways,” M’gann clarified at the two’s confused looks. “And I may or may not know what sector the Lanterns were taking the rescue team too. Green Lantern was thinking rather loudly.”

“You’d do that?” Connor questioned, determination taking over his body. “You’d take me to Kyle?”

“Of course,” M’gann giggled. “There is just one problem, though. The Bio-ship can sustain human life, or any life, for that matter, but once outside the Bio-ship, you’ll need to have other means to survive. And the sector they’re going to doesn’t have a stable enough condition for humans. If we had a Lantern with us, that would help, but as we’re going into this blind, I don’t want to assume we’ll be able to reach out to Green Lantern or Star Sapphire.”

“That would be a problem,” Connor nodded, brow furrowed in that way Ollie did when he was deep in thought. Connor really was the spitting image of his dad. “Kyle’s powerful. Too powerful to just get dropped on like that. And the fact that the Green Lanterns weren’t investigating other Lantern Corps means they don’t believe they’re involved. So someone powerful outside the Lantern Corps had to have taken him.”

“Then how do we survive outside the Bio-ship?” Emiko questioned.

No one had the chance to answer, however, as something knocked on the window. From the outside. Forty-five stories up. The group of four whipped their heads around to see a figure outside the window, hovering. She was tall, hair short, yet expertly braided. She was of dark skin, perhaps a shade darker than Wally’s. Her eyes, however, glowed a bright blue, and there was a blue tint to her overall body. But what really truck the group was the Blue Lantern symbol on her chest.

“May I come in?” the girl asked, a gentle smile on her face.

M’gann seemed to hesitate before she moved to the window to guide the Blue Lantern in.

“Anika Vaughn,” M’gann began to state dutifully. “Recently made a Blue Lantern three days ago. Legs and spine partially damaged in a childhood injury. Saint Walker sent her to aid the search for Kyle Rayner.”

“You’d be correct,” Anika gave a tight, slightly wary smile. “I take it you read minds?”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” M’gann didn’t seem _that_ sorry. “But given that one of our own is missing, we can’t be too careful. My name is M’gann M’orzz. My alias is Miss Martian.”

The exchange seemed fair enough. Emiko was glad that she had her mask on. She wasn’t yet willing to reveal her identity without having talked to Ollie first. Things were still…complicated after the events with the Teen Titans. Connor and Jon didn’t seem to eager to give their alias out either.

“If you’re looking for the other Lanterns, they already left,” Jon offered, actually looking sorry for what just transpired. “I’m one of the two Superboys, by the way.”

Anika, or Blue Lantern, just gave a sheepish smile. “I hadn’t even realized there were other Lanterns here. Saint Walker, my teacher, became aware of Kyle Rayner’s disappearance roughly three months ago, but he is the only being left to guard the Blue Lantern Power Battery. He spent months searching for someone worthy enough to take a ring, and once he found me, he had to go through the process. It is customary that Blue Lanterns spend three days learning why the Ring is important. Normally, one’s teacher would then stick by their side through training, but given the direness of the situation, he sent me as soon as my three days were done.”

“Wait, how did Saint Walker know that Kyle was missing?” Connor questioned, arms crossed, instantly defensive.

“As Blue Lanterns, we are symbols of hope,” Anika motioned to herself, unbothered by Connor’s hostility. “Like the Star Sapphire’s, we feel hope like they feel love. We don’t just use our own hope, but the hope of others around us. With Saint Walker being the only Blue Lantern, he has felt the universe’s hope and the loss of it. So when Kyle Rayner stopped hoping, Saint Walker knew immediately that something was wrong.”

“She’s telling the truth,” M’gann voiced before anything else could be said. “Saint Walker and the Blue Lanterns are friends with the Green Lanterns. They only wish to help. And Anika just solved our problem.”

“Problem?” Anika questioned, but M’gann was looking solely at Connor.

“Fine,” Connor huffed. “But if this ends up backfiring on us, I’m blaming you.”

“Noted.”

Emiko was starting to wonder if she missed something. Then again, she was used to being kept out of the loop.

“There’s an Amazon, Speedster, Green Lantern, Star Sapphire, and Detective already on their way,” Jon voiced to Anika, who was still hovering. “We have a Bio-ship ready for us to go, but we had no way to maintain stability at the location. We’d appreciate if you could help.”

“Well, that is why I’m here,” Anika grinned.

Emiko wasn’t even sure the others realized she had followed them onto the ship, but hey, she wasn’t complaining. She hadn’t been to space before.

\-------------------------

Despite “sucking it up” Jason still found himself on edge. Kori’s ship just didn’t feel right with Roy here. He found himself pacing the ship, trying to find a room where Roy hadn’t left an imprint, but couldn’t. Roy was everywhere. Even if it was just in Jason’s memories.

“If you try to apologize one more time, I’ll break your leg,” Jason threatened.

He turned to see Wally West in the doorway of the room Jason had just entered. Roy’s old bedroom. Jason’s wasn’t sure what possessed him to enter this room, but he wasn’t going to fight it. Wally was giving him a sheepish smile; one Jason had grown increasingly familiar with.

“Can you blame me?”

“No.”

Wally’s smile, though still sheepish, was sad now too.

“But it also wasn’t your fault,” Jason stated, turning to fully face Wally. “And if I have to spend every day of the rest of my life telling you that, then believe me, I will.”

Jason’s gaze shifted to a few photos Roy had kept around, still laid out on Roy’s bed. Or, perhaps they had been placed there by Kori after they fell. The room was clean, surprisingly enough. Jason wasn’t surprised there weren’t extra spare parts lying around.

There were two of the Titans, one when the team had been young, and another where the team had grown up. There was also one of Lian, grinning happily at the taker. Probably Roy. And there was one of Kori, Roy, and Jason. They were posing like idiots in front of the camera, laughing and giggling.

“You, uh, talk to Lian lately?” Wally asked, hesitant.

“Yeah,” Jason nodded, a fond smile on his face. “She came over to meet Helena with Ollie and Dinah. Sweetest little girl in the world.”

“Yeah,” Wally agreed. “Though my little Irey is pretty close.”

“Really? I would of that Irey was the one more likely to kick butt.”

Wally snorted. From what Jason understood, Irey and Jai West were only three to four years younger than Lian. They three had only met each other on occasions, and because Vandal Savage had been hunting Lian, the poor girl hardly had a stable childhood. It didn’t help that her dad was a vigilante, her mom an assassin, that she had died, or that she was brought back to life.

Lian had lost her father young. Too young.

“She wants to see you all again,” Jason voiced. “The Titans together.”

“She doesn’t need to see me again,” Wally protested.

Jason shot Wally a look. “She’s never blamed you. She knows what happened and she knows its not your fault. Don’t punish her trying to punish yourself.”

Wally shrank back. Jason knew his words were harsh, but sometimes, you needed to be harsh to get through to an idiot. And Wally was definitely being an idiot.

Casting one last glance to the room that had belonged to his best friend, Jason walked out, leaving the memories to rest. He hadn’t been there for Roy, but he could be there for Kyle. He wouldn’t lose someone else he cared for.


	3. Surreal

The location, unfortunately, was a way off. It would take time to get to their destination, and even then, they might juts have to travel farther. Jason had quickly taken over for Kori in flying as the new day (in Earth standards, at least) began. Normally, Kori would protest, knowing full well that Jason hadn’t slept, but she knew her friend well enough to let him fly. It helped him think. Sometimes overthink, but think, nonetheless.

It was also a marvelous way to corner someone.

“How does it feel knowing you’ll be a father?”

Jason huffed a laugh, surprised that Donna Troy could even look at him, let alone speak in his presence with something other than a job.

“Surreal,” Jason admitted. “Impossible. Part of me is over the moon that I get a chance to prove that I can be a father, that I won’t be a screw up like my birth father. But part of me is terrified.”

Donna cocked her head. “Of being a father.”

Jason shook his head. “That the darkness in me will take over.”

“The rage?”

“The Lazarus,” Jason corrected. “That…the effects don’t just go away. I’m terrified that my daughter’s will be born with green eyes full of rage and an evil.” Jason paused, fists clenching and unclenching at his side. “That, and now that the world knows I’m alive, I have to figure out how to explain my daughters to the public.” Here, Jason scrunched up his nose. “I just realized my daughters will be the same age as my baby sister.”

Donna laughed at that, bright and clear. It was nice to know that Donna didn’t still hate his guts.

“Listen, Donna, about-”

“You don’t need to apologize, Jason,” Donna placed a hand on his arm. “I don’t appreciate the betrayal, but Artemis speaks highly of you. You should know Artemis has always been the one more willing to take the ‘harsher’ path. She shed light on your habits and tendencies.”

Jason nodded, returning his gaze to the vast universe before him. When Jason had ‘betrayed’ Donna to save her life, he realized that he was losing a friend. Donna had trusted him when no one else had, not even Dick or Tim. She believed him when Duela was killed, and she had convinced him to aid in the search for Ray Palmer. Her words had stung, but Jason knew he deserved them.

Later, Jason would befriend Roy. And Kori. But the loss of Donna as his friend had stung more than he was willing to admit. She had believed in him when no one else would dare, and with her friendship, he lost her faith.

“So, what’s new in the world of the Amazons other than three babies on the way?” Jason asked her, more than willing to change the subject.

“Well, Diana has a twin brother.”

“What?”

“Yeah. Don’t tell Batman, though. Diana doesn’t want him snooping around.”

“I think Bruce would have figured it out already,” Jason scoffed.

“Not if not even Diana knew,” Donna huffed. “In fact, only Queen Hippolyta knew. She was trying to protect him from Hera’s wrath.”

“Makes sense. Does this guy have a name?”

Donna grinned. “His name is Jason.”

Jason spluttered.

\-----------------

_“Oh, my sweet little warrior,” her grandmother greeted with a tearful smile. “There you are. My sweet, sweet warrior. How strong you are to have fought your way back.”_

_“Gran’ma?”_

_“Hush, my dear,” Grandma cooed. “It’s alright. Grandma has you now. She’ll take good care of you.”_

_“Whe’e, Ma? Jo’an?”_

_Grandma didn’t answer. Just cooed and fretted as Anika lay paralyzed in the hospital room. She couldn’t feel her legs, but that didn’t matter. Her mother had gone so quiet. And what of her baby brother? Was Jordan okay? He was still sniffling when Anika last heard?_

_Where was her brother?_

\-----------------------

“That bad, huh?”

M’gann pulled her gaze away from Anika to see Jon standing beside her. M’gann was lucky she wasn’t human, or this little drive would have been unbearable. She would, eventually, need sleep as the Bio-ship took from her energy and mind to fly, but she could survive without sleep for now.

“She’s been through so much pain,” M’gann sighed, remembering their shock when Anika shed her Blue Lantern suit and created crutches. “Yet she’s got so much hope. I can see why she was chosen.”

Jon hummed. He wasn’t all that well versed on the different Lantern Corps, but he knew they were important. Each of them had a something they were linked to. Will, Hope, Love, Avarice, Fear, and Compassion. Jon knew more about the Green Lanterns because there were several of them on Earth.

He knew the Blue Lanterns had been mostly wiped out, and that Saint Walker was the last of them. That was all information he had learned from overhearing people talk, and what Damian knew on the subject.

Anika was probably the first new Blue Lantern of the new order.

“She’s not a threat,” M’gann said, words firm. “I know Connor doesn’t trust her, but she really is here to help. And I intend to help her in return.”

“Oh? Does she want something?”

“Not at all,” M’gann huffed. “I wouldn’t be upset if she asked for help, though. She’s looking for her brother.”

Jon cocked his head as M’gann filled his head with images from Anika’s mind. He’d have to bring up consent to her, but as the images flashed in his mind, Jon had to agree with M’gann’s choice. Jon was _definitely_ going to help Anika find her brother.

“Let’s try not be too invasive,” Jon told M’gann sheepishly. “But I agree that whether we succeed or not, we should help Anika find her brother.”

A shift, too quiet for M’gann to hear, pulled Jon’s gaze to where Connor and Emiko had curled up together in sleep. It made Jon smile. Emiko had always been worried about how her dynamic with her nephew would go, but Connor really didn’t seem to mind that he was older than his Aunt. But Jon understood. In a sense.

It was difficult to return to a world where everyone had remained the same as you grew up. Though Damian still remained his best friend, it still hurt Jon to see that Damian had a closer relationship with the Pizza Club than him. It was part of the reason Jon had gone to the Titans.

He wished none of this had ever happened. He wished he was still ten years old, kicking butt with Damian. He knew his parents missed it too. They still loved him, but he knew they longed to have seen Jon grow up too. It’s why he gave them permission to have another kid, much to their surprise and an interesting conversation.

That was another reason he was spending time at Titans Tower. He didn’t need to listen to his dad trying to get his mom pregnant, thank you very little.

\-----------------------------

The three Titans and one Outlaw on board Kori’s ship instantly realized what was going on with the two Lanterns and made plans to _avoid_ it. Problem was, even on a ship as big as Kori’s, only Jason was well equipped enough to avoid _this_.

“Ah, here, why don’t I-”

“I can-”

Carol flushed bright red as her hip accidently knocked against Hal’s and she pulled back from attempting to grab the spare blankets Kori had motioned them too. Donna’s eye twitched at the two, but she kept her mouth shut, patiently waiting her turn to grab a spare blanket.

“Here,” Hal offered, voice cracking as he handed Carol a couple blankets. “Sorry.”

“No, no, I’m sorry,” Carol took the blankets, still flushed, though Hal was practically red. “Thank you.”

The last comment was said with a squeak before Carol used her ring’s power to zip away. Hal gave a dejected sigh that made Donna want to slap him before he grabbed a blanket and went the opposite way. That was when Jason appeared around the corner, grabbed a few blankets, handed them to Donna, then grabbed a few for himself and disappeared.

Donna’s eye twitched again.

The next morning at roughly breakfast, Wally was eating the meal Jason had left out for them (the youngest member of their crew mysteriously absent), when Carol came into the kitchen area. Wally gave her a wave, continuing to fill his appetite.

And then Hal walked in. Wally had half a mind to zip away, but his gaze fell back to the food and he decided against it. Carol and Hal proceeded to grab their food quickly and retreat to opposite sides of the room. Wally found himself subjected to the two taking turns staring at the other, breaking eye contact the second they locked, then more staring.

It felt like agony. Like Wally was holding his breath as he ate his fill.

Both Carol and Hal left before Wally did, and Wally finally released the breath he had been holding. Jason walked in just seconds after the not-couple left.

“Please tell me this isn’t going to be our entire trip,” Wally begged his best friend’s brother.

“We could always try sicking Kori on them,” Jason’s nonchalant shrug made Wally groan and bang his head on the kitchen counter.

Wally would like to note that banging your head on alien tech meant to withstand raging heat is a terrible idea. He had a headache. Jason telling him he would get used to the feeling was not helpful either.

Later, Kori approached Jason.

“I still do not understand why humans deny themselves,” she declared to her best friend, getting a snort from Jason. “Just have sex and get it over with.”

“They did have sex, Kori,” Jason chuckled. “Which is what made it awkward. You have to remember that humans have a slightly different view than Tamaraneans. Hal and Carol have a relationship nearly as complicated as understanding the cosmos. At least, in their own eyes.”

Kori nodded in contemplation. “So in this instance, it isn’t sex they want, but they used it to avoid the true conflict.”

“Got it in one.”

“Then they’re fools.”

Jason barked a laugh. “You are more than welcome to take a whack at it if you want. I’m staying out of this one.”

Kori nodded in thought before disappearing. The shouts of disbelief and discomfort only made Jason laugh harder. Perhaps new memories weren’t a bad thing.

\---------------------------

_Rage._

_I can feel it._

_Not the White One’s._

_Directed at the white one._

_Must go. Must help. I can feel it. Rage._

_The White One is in danger. The White One is friend._

_Must protect the White One._

_I will go._

_I will protect._

_I am good kitty._

_Rage._

\-----------------------------

“More and more come to save you.”

Kyle said nothing. It was getting easier to hold his emotions. Distantly, he realized this was a bad thing, but he failed Psych 101 the first time around. Which was funny. The Anti-Monitor didn’t seem to realize the danger he was putting Kyle in either. Then again, it was probably too much to ask for a being of the sixth dimension to understand a being lesser than him.

And Kyle still had no idea what this creep wanted with him.

“Do you still feel nothing?”

_Yep. Kind of the point._

Kyle didn’t talk anymore, either. He wondered if he had forgotten how. How long had he been gone? He couldn’t remember. Did anyone miss him? He supposed they did if they were coming for him. He wasn’t going to hope, though. Wasn’t going to feel love either.

He felt isolated.

Gone. That was a better word. He felt gone.


	4. Burning Red Rage

“Are we _sure_ this is the place?” Wally asked for the millionth time.

“This appears to be the location,” Hal stated, motioning around them at a bunch of asteroids. “This was the last place Kyle’s ring gave a signal before the Lanterns just left it alone.”

“What I don’t understand is why the Green Lanterns didn’t just call Kyle to come deal with the little dispute,” Carol cast a questioning glance to her ex-boyfriend. “Wouldn’t the battle have ended quicker?”

Hal shrugged. “You’d think so, but Kyle hasn’t exactly boasted his status as _The_ White Lantern to anyone. The guy actually tries to stick with just the green ring.”

“I think this the most civil I have seen them,” Wally whispered to Donna and Kori.

Jason was looking around the asteroids. Letting Hal’s Ring keep him breathing as he floated around space. There wasn’t anything obvious that he could see. Most of the marks in the rocks could be passed off as them hitting against each other. Assuming that the asteroids moved because someone was playing with them and not because there was a struggle.

“I hate to break up this search party, but we have company,” Kori pointed a distance away.

Jason ignored them, assuming the other supers would watch over him while he tried to find clues. He just hoped they weren’t going to make a mess as they fought or did whatever. It had only been two hours and the other were already banned from helping. Kori was the only one allowed to help, and she was trying to pick up energy signals.

“Wait, I know that ship,” Donna stopped the others from taking the defensive and let Carol guide her to the ship. “It’s M’gann.”

_“Hi!”_ came the Martian’s chipper voice in their heads. _“We’ve brought a new friend!”_

“New friend?” Wally exchanged a wary glance with Hal.

But any worry the group had was quickly dashed as a bright blue light greeted them. The woman it came from gave them a comforting smile, one of hope, as she brought Jon, M’gaan, Emiko, and Connor to greet them. Carol and Hal were completely stunned by the sudden woman before them.

“You’re-!”

“A Blue Lantern,” the girl greeted. “Yes. My name is Anika Vaughn of the Blue Lantern Corp. Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corp and Carol Ferris of the Star Sapphires, correct? Saint Walker sends his regards, and he apologizes that he could not be here as well.”

“She came to us shortly after you left,” Jon gave them all a grin. “And Red Arrow had contacted Connor Hawke because he’s friend’s with Kyle Rayner.”

“I don’t suppose you have an idea as to where to find him?” Donna voiced.

Anika shook her head. “Saint Walker began searching for a new Blue Lantern shortly after Kyle Rayner’s hope vanished. And with no other Blue Lanterns at the time, Saint Walker felt the disturbing loss instantly. Adara, the heart of our Power Battery, implored Saint Walker to send out a ring and to begin rebuilding the Blue Lanterns.”

Hal and Carol exchanged glances. Saint Walker had proven himself more than once as a valuable ally. Having a Blue Lantern was also a good sign as the imbodied hope. But the news that Saint Walker could _not_ feel Kyle Rayner’s hope was disturbing. While the other Lanterns could feel their respective power, only the Blue Lanterns could truly draw power from that of others. Because hope was meant to be shared more so than anything else. Though love and compassion were both close in that sense. Fear too.

“Found anything?” Connor’s voice came from behind Jason.

“Asteroid movement,” Jason sighed. “Which means something was here, but other than a few scrapes and bumps, nothing concrete.”

Connor nodded, already beginning to search. Connor Hawke was the son of Oliver Queen. At one point, in a different timeline, Connor had even been Green Arrow. He’d kept his head down since then, especially as Lady Shiva was searching for him. Personally, Jason didn’t think Green Arrow fit the guy. He was an excellent combatant, his skill level being close to that of Lady Shiva. Maybe even Cass. That might be pushing it.

“I assume Starfire is looking for energy signals?”

Jason nodded, turning over another asteroid.

“Roy spoke highly of you.”

“Yeah, well, he always was an idiot.”

Connor snorted, sending a grin to Jason as they got back to work. They had a lot of ground to cover, and very little time to do it. Meanwhile, M’gann was giving the others a quick rundown of what they missed.

“Do we know where Kyle’s hope stopped being a thing?” Carol asked their new fellow lantern. “Any hints?”

Anika shook her head. “This was the last place Saint Walker felt anything. I suppose he was hoping that Kyle Rayner would reach back if I called for him. But I’ve been calling since we were in close proximity and haven’t received an answer.”

“Which means Hood may be the only one that can help us,” Wally turned to where Emiko was joining the little search party.

Anika turned her head to the three and cocked her head. “Interesting.”

Before the others could ask what she meant, Anika had made her way over to Jason. To their surprise, Jason’s most of all, she reached out to touch his chest right over his heart. It was so out of the blue that even Jason wasn’t sure how to react. But let it be known that Bruce trained his children well, and it didn’t take long for Jason to snap back to it.

“Listen, lady, I’m not in the mood to be groped,” he quipped.

“I apologize,” Anika retracted her hand. “I was just surprised, is all.”

Jason shot a look to Kori, who had instantly moved closer incase this reached hostile territory.

“Surprised by what,” the princess asked.

“Blue Lanterns are meant to find hope,” Anika stated, motioning to the symbol on her chest. “The ring should have gone to the person who felt the most hope, and yet it chose me. But here you are, standing before me.”

That was…what?

“Are you saying Hood could be a Blue Lantern?” Donna voiced everyone’s question.

“No,” Anika shook her head. “There is a…for lack of better term, a block on him. As if something is preventing him from being found by our rings.”

“The Lazarus Pit, probably.”

“No, this is different. I can tell you have great rage in you, Hood. But it is nothing compared to the hope you have within you. Hope that one day your father will see you for you. Hope that your daughters will know love. Hope that one day, your burden will lessen. Hope that one day, your nightmares will end. I can feel it, but my ring is prevented from using it. If it truly had been rage, I would have been able to use my ring to overcome this darkness. This is more like a seal, or a brand. Like someone has claimed you.”

“What?”

Someone had… _claimed_ him? What did that even mean?

“Could you remove it?” came Kori’s soft voice, reassuring in Jason’s ear.

“No,” Anika shook her head. “That I cannot do. I can, however, remove the rage that has been placed in you. This Lazarus Pit, as you call it. But I will need to be at full power.”

He could be free of the Lazarus Pit? Really and truly?

_“Remove the rage? Why? It will help us find the White One.”_

The team whipped around at the voice in their head. The two senior Lanterns instantly felt their blood grow cold, but the others-

“Is that a cat?”

\------------------------------

The war they had been fighting was over, but Guy Gardner was far from satisfied. It was only _after_ the battle had been won that they were told Kyle Rayner was missing. It had always been a tradition for Kyle and Guy to go to the bar, especially after the defeat of the Black Lantern Corps. Now, Guy was joined by other Lanterns, all debating whether they should go to aid Hal Jordan, or follow orders.

“This is stupid!” Jessica Cruz slammed her fist into the bar. “We can’t just sit around while Kyle is who knows where! We can’t just be sitting ducks!”

“We can’t exactly do anything otherwise,” Kilowog pointed out. “We don’t even know where to start looking, and Hal Jordan is under strict orders not to respond to calls.”

“Do you really think he would just leave us in the dark?” Jessica spat.

“He would if he was in trouble,” John Stewart stated, making Jessica bight the inside of her lip. “Listen, Jessica. Hal knows the corruption of the Green Lantern Corp better than anyone. He knows better than to trust them, too. If Hal chose not to tell us anything, there was a reason. And I doubt Hal went alone.”

That was true. Hal knew the importance of losing a teammate. He wouldn’t let Kyle just die, and he certainly wasn’t going to walk into the situation unprepared. Or without back-up. With Kyle being a White Lantern (even if the kid hated to admit it), he was both the most terrifying and most sought-after lantern in the Universe. Maybe even the Multi-verse.

“So you _are_ saying we just sit here,” Arisia accused.

“Unless you have a better idea,” Kilowog rebutted.

“John and Kilowog are right,” Simon Baz cut everyone off. “We may not _like_ it, but we don’t even have the faintest idea where to start. If we go into this blind, we would be putting ourselves, Hal, and Kyle at risk.”

“And if we get more information, then we can act,” John elaborated, getting nods, albeit reluctant, from the others.

Guy stared down into his cup for a moment before knocking it back. The last time he thought he lost Kyle, he became a Red Lantern. He nearly died. Kyle and Soranik had brought him back, but it was a painfully near thing. He couldn’t afford that this time around. So he waited.

For now, that was all he could do.

Speaking of Soranik, had anyone even told her yet? He knew Jennie-Lynn had been told, and she was currently talking with her dad, Alan Scott, about the issue. But had anyone told Soranik. She was going to be furious if they hadn’t.

Well, guess he was the guy for the job.

“But as worried as we are about Kyle, we also need to focus on our next task,” Kilowog pulled _most_ of the Lanterns back on track. “The lost princess of Tamaran isn’t out of the woods just yet.”

“Agreed,” John nodded. “And knowing Princess Koriand’r somewhat personally, as well as Richard Grayson, we need to send someone to Earth to tell them of the going ons.”

“That will be difficult,” Simon cut in. “Hal sent out a message before he vanished that Princess Koriand’r was traveling with him, and that Richard Grayson would be on an undercover mission for the sake of his baby sister. Neither is currently aware of the information we received.”

Kilowog sighed. “Have we at least been able to track where the little princess vanished too?”

“I believe Tomar was looking into it,” Arisia huffed. “The last I heard, her ship was taken off course.”

Guy stopped listening, already pulling out of the bar. He didn’t care if anyone followed him or not. There were enough Green Lanterns to find the princess already. They could spare a few more for Kyle.

\-------------------------------

Jason had taken one look at the angry space cat and decided he wanted to pet it. He blamed Damian for his sudden appreciation of animals, but he also didn’t consider it a bad thing. The little gremlin had a way with animals that left Jason in awe. The two had talked about the younger being a veterarian, or maybe an animal aid worker.

But that was off topic.

Jason took one look at Dex-Starr, feared Red Lantern, and ended up petting the cats head. Dex, as he preferred to be called, was a nice kitty who had clearly been through a lot of pain.

_“You’re rage is almost fake,”_ Dex huffed at Jason, batting at the man’s hand. _“You have anger in you, but not real anger. Not worthy of the Red Lanterns. Hope is strong in you.”_

“And this seal Blue was talking about?” Carol eyed the cat.

_“Yes,”_ Dex purred as Jason scratched just the right spot. _“The being who placed it was truly powerful. It was not made of rage, Star Sapphire. I am surprised you did not notice.”_

“He means it was made of love,” Anika told the others. “I’m not sure what being could be so powerful as to repel a Lantern ring.”

“No offense, lady, but I have no intention of being a Lantern.”

Anika cocked her head, clearly contemplating something. She didn’t deem it necessary to voice whatever it was she was contemplating, however.

“As interesting as the conversation is,” and Jason resisted applauding Kori for her self-control, especially with her hatred for Lanterns. “We do need to focus on what Dex-Starr has told us. Perhaps it will lead us to Kyle.”

Judging by M’gann’s wince, Kori wasn’t thinking very nice things about some of the current occupants on the ship.

_Atta girl._

_“There is rage. Directed at the White One. Stemmed from frustration.”_

“So Kyle is giving his captors a hard time,” Wally snickered.

“But that could be a bad thing,” Jon pointed out. “We have no idea what this person wants from Kyle. It could result in his death.”

Jason glanced down to Dex-Starr. The cat did not seem to think the anger was a threat to Kyle. Them, however, was another matter that Jason wasn’t going to bring up. Dex clearly had no desire to share that information either.


	5. Perfect World

Jason felt it before they arrived. Something dark and off was prepared to greet them. A cold sense of dread gripped Jason’s neck, traveling up and down his spine like a hand trying to comfort a crying child. Judging by how tense everyone else had become, they felt something similar. He gave Dex one last scratch before letting the cat go.

“Stay on guard,” Hal was instructing them. “Keep together for as long as we can. And don’t be afraid to fight if necessary.”

The last comment seemed to be specifically for Anika. Blue Lanterns weren’t necessarily fighters. They were bringers of hope, healers, and defenders. Her ring was not meant to be used for such a purpose as attacking.

“I am prepared to face whatever I must,” Anika stated confidently.

She was a rookie. Untrained. Jason feared for her more than the rest of them. Well, most of them. Of all the people Jason feared for the most, it was definitely Jon. Damian’s best friend. Aged-up or not, Damian loved Jon, and Jon loved Damian. Despite everything, the two had remained friends, even if their relationship wasn’t the same as it used to be.

If Jon died, Damian would never forgive him.

The ship landed.

You know that moment when you play a video game, and you’re running around a dungeon, and suddenly the music stops. Then, foolishly, you take a few more steps and suddenly there is just a lot of base music playing.

That’s what this felt like. Jason was 99.9% certain they were going to die.

“The air here is breathable,” Carol hummed aloud, her ring flashing slightly. “It should be safe for humans to exist without the aid of a ring.”

“I’d rather not risk it,” Wally stated.

Carol nodded, joining the other three Lanterns in placing protective barriers around the others.

“It’s like a cavern,” Donna whispered to Jason.

“Gives me the creeps,” Jason said back.

As they moved further into the cavern, the feeling of dread and hopelessness only seemed to get worse. Which meant Jason steeled himself against the feeling. He wasn’t a stranger to despair, and he knew how to combat it. This was just a typical day in Jason’s life.

“Thank you,” Anika suddenly appeared by his side. “You’re hope is strong, and I was afraid my own hope would not be enough to keep my power from growing.”

“Don’t worry yourself,” Jason shrugged. “When it really matters, you’ll find you can fight through anything.”

Anika’s smile was warm, but she remained close to Jason. Observing both Jason and the cavern around them.

Connor spotted it first, a sharp intake of breath as he grabbed Emiko’s arm to stop her from going too far forward. The others slowly caught on, all quelling their own gasp of shock and horror at the sight.

Before them, Kyle was strung up on some sort of device that could have been an altar. He was dressed in civies, not even wearing a mask. His clothes seemed worn and tattered. His ring still rested on his finger, but there was no glow to it. But the most horrifying part wasn’t the ring or the clothes, but Kyle himself. Specifically, his face. Kyle looked almost lifeless, not seeing them even though they stood in front of him. He didn’t acknowledge them, nor did he react to anything around him. His eyes were glazed over as if dead.

“Kyle?” Donna tried.

Which was a mistake.

“How curious,” the Anti-Monitor chuckled at them. “Humans, weaklings, come to save a powerful being from another powerful being. Amusing.”

_“Frustration,”_ Dex told the others. _“Rage. The White One would not give him what he desires.”_

_Good._ Jason thought. _Let the creep suffer._

“How unfortunate that you will not be able to save him,” the Anti-Monitor mocked. “But perhaps you can help my purpose.”

Jason didn’t like the sound of that.

Before any of them could properly react, the world around them seemed to split apart and re-form around them. The group was forced to watch in horror as they all blacked out. This was not going well in the slightest.

\----------------------------

_“Foolish,”_ Dex huffed to himself, unable to find the others. _“They should have tried to attack. Instead they gaped like fish. Foolish.”_

Dex wasn’t entirely sure where he was. He was in a box, he believed. Using his head, he pushed open the box and began to search around. Only to freeze.

_No. This wasn’t possible._

“Oh, there you are, Dex.”

Dex tensed at the familiar voice.

“Were you taking a nap?” she asked. “I bet you’re hungry, too. Come on, Dex. Let’s get something to eat.”

Dex was completely rigid as _she_ picked him up and cradled him to _her_ chest. Warm. Soft. Hold strong. It was _her_. But _she_ had died. It couldn’t be _her_. Could it?

“Why are you so tense?” she cooed to him. “Did something scare you? It’s alright, my sweet kitty. Nothing is going to hurt us.”

Dex knew that was a lie. It was why he had accepted the rage. Accepted the ring. He had not been able to protect _her_. But he had the ring now. He could save _her_ this time. Dex let himself relax, curling into _her_ and purring. He was home, and there was no place he would rather be than with _her_.

The rage still pulsated in him, willing to lash out to protect. But there was no harm in keeping it at bay for now.

\---------------------------

Hal woke up, only to jolt upright in sync with Carol. The two eyed each other, eyed themselves, and jerked away. Both were in the same bed, lacking clothes, and scrambling to cover themselves. But that couldn’t be right. First of all, they were avoiding each other. Second of all, they were on a mission to save Kyle. Glancing around the room, both found themselves confused.

“Where are we?” Carol whispered.

“I have no idea,” Hal moved to a few pictures, picking up a pair of boxers from the floor. “But…I think this is our home.”

“What?”

Hal moved to the sighed, letting Carol see some of the pictures that decorated a bookshelf. They were of her and Hal. Some at the airfield. Some at dates she remembered. Others at events she didn’t. And there was one picture that had Carol’s eyes widening.

“Is that…?”

“Helen,” Hal nodded. “And…Martin…”

The first name was one Hal knew well. His niece that he recently took into his own custody. She was already showing signs of being a meta, and Hal wanted her to have a good life. But the second came to him just as naturally, even though Hal _knew_ he had never seen the child before.

His son. With Carol. Martin Jordan II.

“Uncle Hal!” came Helen’s older, more mature voice. “Aunt Carol! You need to get up! Uncle Jim and Aunt Sue are going to be here soon!”

A memory appeared in Hal’s mind. Making plans for his brother and sister-in-law to come over with the kids. Deep down, Hal knew the memories weren’t real. That what he was seeing was fake. But it felt so real.

“So, I guess we get dressed,” Carol offered sheepishly.

“Yeah.”

Hal found he couldn’t resist the urge to kiss Carol, and he smiled as she returned the gesture. He wasn’t sure what he did to deserve this, but Hal didn’t want to wake up. He hoped Carol felt the same, because this was his dream come true.

Carol felt the same.

\------------------------

M’gann knew where she was instantly. It wasn’t possible, though. It couldn’t be. Because before her was Mars. Her home. She had been so little when it was destroyed, and her parents, not believing in the same ways as her kind, had fled to Earth, only to be captured.

But she was on Mars, and her parents were standing over her, smiling brightly.

“Mom? Dad?”

“There’s our sleeping princess,” her father cooed. “You’re Uncle J’onn was wondering if you could babysit K’hym today.”

M’gann’s eyes lit up. She loved K’hym. “Of course I can. Is she hear now?”

“She’s waiting downstairs with your uncle,” her mother smiled. “Why don’t you get ready and come greet them.”

Just as her mother said, J’onn and K’hym were downstairs waiting. M’gann threw her arms around her uncle, getting a chuckled from the green Martian as he hugged back. It was slightly awkward as white Martians were larger than green Martians, but they were both used to it by now.

“You both take care, now,” J’onn waved to them.

M’gann giggled as K’hym waved goodbye. This felt perfect in so many ways. The white and green Martians were at peace, her family was happy, and everything in M’gann’s life was going right.

She couldn’t be happier.

\-----------------------------

Anika huffed as she sat up in bed with a stretch, only to freeze and stare at her surrounding with wide eyes. This couldn’t be right.

The bedroom was from Anika’s old house, before she moved in with her grandmother, but it had all the posters and knick-knacks of her grandma’s house, and her apartment. But what surprised Anika the most was the lack of pain in her legs as she moved to stand up.

“Anika, sweetheart, you’re going to be late!”

Anika felt both relieved and horrified by the voice. It had been so long since she heard it. But there was no mistaking the voice as her mother came to open the door. Danica Vaugh gave her a warm smile, alive and unscathed.

“Come on, young lady,” her mother clapped as she used to do when Anika needed to hurry. “Your siblings are waiting, and you have school.”

Danica left, closing the door. Unaware of the cold, hard, fear that crept through Anika. Saint Walker had imparted what he could to her to prepare her for this, but nothing could prepare her for what was happening now. As she walked downstairs, she sucked in a sharp breath. Matthew Vaugh, her father, was making breakfast, bacon sizzling on the pan in a way only he could make it. Felix Vaughn, her older brother, was reading over his essay for class in a couple hours. Brandon Vaughn, her younger brother, was tossing his baseball glove into the air and catching it one-handed. And Jordan, no longer a baby, was giggling as his mother tickled him.

Anika thought she might collapse, or scream, or laugh. Maybe cry.

_This is perfect._

Too perfect.

“Grab a seat, Anika,” her father smiled at her. “Breakfast is almost done.”

“Good luck at your interview,” Felix gave her a light punch to the shoulder. “You’ll be great.”

That’s right. She had an interview for an internship at the Human Right’s Foundation. She’d be applying to make the world a better place. Just like she always wanted. Everything was perfect.

_Too perfect._

\--------------------------

The smell of grass and flowers wafted through Jason’s nose, and he shifted on the dirt ground, cushioned by leaves and grass. It was a calming feeling. The type of calm that Jason hadn’t felt in years. Not since he held Helena, at least, but even that didn’t hold a candle to this.

His eyes opened and he spotted Kori directly next to him. He could see Wally a few feet away, and he heard Donna behind him. As he slowly sat up, he spotted Connor on the other side of Donna. But Connor was staring at something with wide eyes. Following the other’s gaze, Jason’s own gaze became a mirror.

“Morning, Jaybird! Connor and I were just catching up!”

Jason felt the words die in his throat. The others were starting to join him and Connor, each of them being greeted by the same sight. It wasn’t possible.

“By the gods,” Donna wheezed.

“Oh, X’aul,” Kori breathed in horror.

“Roy?” Wally whispered.

“The one and only!”

And Roy Harper tipped his stupid baseball cap at them with a grin that knocked their breath away. This was impossible it couldn’t be. Roy was dead. They had seen the body. And yet, standing before them at the very lake Jason had taken Bizarro too, was the Roy Harper. Grinning as cheeky as ever.

If this was a dream, Jason never wanted to wake up.

\-----------------------------

“Woah!” came the voice of Crush. “You guys okay? That was a rather nasty fall.”

“You weren’t hurt were you?”

Emiko’s head snapped up at that voice. There was no way she heard that right. After all, Djinn was gone. Taken from there because Damian was an idiot. But there, standing before her, was Djinn leaning into Crush’s side, clearly ready to react if Emiko was hurt.

“I-I’m fine,” Emiko found herself saying. “What…?”

Emiko’s eyes widened as she saw Jon Lane Kent beside her. _As a ten year old!_ Her brain short-circuited as Jon picked himself up and dusted himself off, only to freeze and look at his hands. The super whipped to the bathroom, a squawk coming a few seconds later.

“What’s that about?” Emiko found herself being picked up by Wally. Her Wally, not his older cousin that was on the mission with her.

“I-”

“Tt, as clumsy as ever,” came the equally familiar voice behind her. “You’d think a Super-being would be able to catch himself.”

That was it. Emiko was dead. Or having a fever dream. Damian’s voice would never be so _fond._ Not even of Jon. At least, not the way he was now. Emiko had heard Damian was improving while spending time at Gotham Academy, but this…this was too much.

Her teammates were all here. Together. And they were all just as Emiko always wanted them to be.

Wasn’t she just with Connor on a mission?

Jon came back from the bathroom, looped his arms around Emiko, and launched out the door. Leaving their confused teammates.

“This isn’t happening,” Jon placed them on the roof. “There is no way this is real.”

“Jon-”

“I was seventeen, Emiko!” Jon turned to her. “This can’t be real! I heard what Damian said! He’d never be like that!”

“I know,” Emiko cut Jon off. “I know. So…what’s going on then? Where are we?”

Jon shook his head. “I don’t know. But we _have_ to get out of here and find the others. We can’t let these-these-these _fakes_ trick us into staying here.”

“Trick us?”

“Didn’t you feel it?” Jon implored. “The-the feeling that this was normal. That everything was the way it should be.”

Emiko had to think about that for a moment. Had she felt that? Now that she thought about it, the feeling that everything was right with the world had been niggling at the back of her head. But if there was one thing about Emiko, it was that she was _always_ off. Her self-doubt and fear always made her uncomfortable in any situation. She was overcoming it, but she already doubted her own mind on too many things for that bizarre feeling to actually hold any fruition in her head.

Her brain screamed _wrong_ and she knew it was true.

“Jon,” Emiko reached for her friend. “I know this is wrong. I’ll help keep you in check.”

It would take more than some stupid reality bender to make Emiko believe this. This was too good to be true, and Emiko didn’t deserve good things. Ever.

\---------------------

“Can you feel it, Kyle Rayner?” the Anti-Monitor asked him. “Can you feel their hope? Fear? Love? Greed? Will? Rage? Does it give you strength?”

Yes. Yes it did. But Kyle couldn’t admit that. He couldn’t let the Anti-Monitor have his power. No matter what. He just hoped his friends would forgive him, but he pushed that away quickly. He couldn’t afford to hope.

He had to be gone.

For their sake. For the world’s.

Something shifted. His friends. No. Oh no.

“Don’t!”

Too late.


	6. Wish on a Blue Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes...this is the ending...of this book.

“We have to do something,” Jon stated.

“I know, Jon, but what?” Emiko waved around. “We’re trapped in something with no idea how to break out.”

Jon frowned. “Damian.”

Emiko found herself alone on the roof as Jon zipped away. She really was starting to dislike supers. Taking off after Jon, she climbed the stairs back down to where her friends had been only to find Damian eyeing Jon skeptically.

“An alternate reality?”

“Yes,” Jon nodded. “How would one break out of one?”

Emiko decided that Jon was still a naïve idiot. If this was an alternate reality, or a mind game, the odds of Damian helping them were slim.

“Will power, I suppose.”

Wait. What?

“Will power,” Jon nodded. “Got it.”

And then Jon proceeded to look extremely constipated. Emiko had half a mind to tell him to cut it out, but as Jon concentrated, the area around them seemed to crack. Wait. Was he really doing it? But…

“LET US GO YOU CREEP!”

The very air around them cracked and shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Emiko let out a gasp as they found themselves once more in the cavern. The Anti-Monitor seemed unimpressed with them.

“Don’t!” Kyle voiced.

“You’re trying to use the power of the White Lantern,” now-seventeen-years-old Jon growled at the Anti-Monitor. “You showed us what we most desired so that our emotions would cause Kyle to react.”

“A clever child,” the Anti-Monitor hummed. “I must say, your desire was an odd one.”

Jon snarled and lunged forward before Emiko could stop him. She had never seen Jon so furious before. Whatever he had felt in the illusion (if it was an illusion) must have really gotten to him. But the Anti-Monitor was undeterred by the super before him.

“So interesting,” the man-being-thing, continued, “that I shall grant part of your desire.”

Emiko screamed in horror as she watched Jon’s body practically explode. Right before her eyes, his body began to stitch itself back together as the ten year old boy Emiko remembered. Then the Anti-Monitor grabbed Jon by his ten-year-old face.

“You should count yourself fortunate, boy,” the Anti-Monitor sneered as if this were some game he was winning. “You are now the size you wish to be, and you shall grow up once more. Be thankful for this gift.”

And then he threw Jon’s limp body at Emiko. Of course, having a super-being thrown at you with super-human strength, knocking you into a cavern wall would render anyone unconscious. But Emiko managed to wrap her arms around Jon, cradling her friend close.

It was just as her vision finally went out that she noticed the blue light.

\----------------------------------------

Anika watched her family a little longer before her gaze turned to Jordan. Was this what her brother looked like now. If it was, maybe Anika could find him. She intended to do so, anyways. This was just helping him now.

As Anika took a breath, she shut her eyes.

“I love you all,” Anika said to the room.

“And we love you, sweetie,” Danica stated. “Is something wrong?”

Anika opened her eyes once more. She drank in the sight of her family, Jordan in particular. Her baby brother. She would find him again. She swore it. She had hope.

“No. Everything is okay. Or, it will be.”

Anika pitched forward as she felt the pain again. Her ring glowed with the hope from her teammates, catching her before she hit the floor. The Anti-Monitor was weak. She could feel it now. The hope that came from the being was that Kyle Rayner would embrace that of the White Lanterns power so he could convert it to his own. He was in a dimension that made him weaker. But he had messed up by giving them hope. Because Anika was not a fighter. Blue Lanterns were not fighters, but she was a fighter. Always had been. And it had never been a physical fight.

“In fearful day, in ragging night, with strong hearts full, our souls ignite! When all seems lost in the War of Light, look to the stars, **FOR HOPE BURNS BRIGHT**!”

Taking the hope of those around her, Anika broke her reality, gave the others the ability to do the same, and let the hope wash through the cavern. For from hope, Anika drew her strength.

\---------------------------

M’gann wasn’t sure why she was crying. K’hym was in her arms, singing an old Martian lullaby as she played with her dolls. Her parents had only just left for work. Even Uncle J’onn was alive and well.

But she was crying.

“It’s okay,” K’hym turned to her, a faint blue light surrounding the girl. “I understand.”

M’gann wiped her tears away in vain. “What do you understand, my sweet little girl?”

“You have to go,” Khym insisted. “This isn’t real, even if you want it to be. You have to go back.”

“No, no, sweet girl,” M’gann shook her head. “This is real. I’m here.”

K’hym shook her head again. “It’s your desire. I desire it too. But it’s not real. You know it’s not.”

M’gann sobbed harder. “Why can’t it be real? Why must I lose everything I love?”

“Everything?” K’hym asked. “But M’gann, you haven’t lost everything. You still have dad. And you have your team. Your family. And they need you too.”

“But you need me,” M’gann protested weakly.

“I will always need you, M’gann,” K’hym smiled. “And one day, I’ll see you again, okay? But dad needs you.”

M’gann knew that this was her subconscious telling her to get a grip. But it felt so real. Like K’hym was really telling her to go. But it was funny that the Anti-Monitor would give her K’hym when she had never met the girl. By all accounts, K’hym would have been the same age as M’gann, maybe older. But here she was. M’gann often wondered if K’hym would love her or hate her.

“Okay,” M’gann nodded. “I’ll go.”

K’hym smiled. “I love you.”

She clutched K’hym close, tears falling down her face as she let her mind move towards the bright blue light, freeing her from this false reality. It wasn’t fair that she, a white Martian, got to live while her Uncle J’onzz lost his daughter.

M’gann cried harder as she broke the Anti-Monitors hold. As the image vanished, shattering around her, M’gann looked up just in time to see the Anti-Monitor re-stitch Jon’s body back together and throw it at Emiko. M’gann screamed, lunging for her the two children, but was too late to stop Emiko and Jon from smashing against the cavern wall.

She barely noticed the small bundle still cradled in her arms.

“Perhaps I misjudged you humans,” the Anti-Monitor hummed.

\-----------------------------

Carol sipped her coffee as she watched Hal run around with Martin. Helen was leading the chase, but Hal’s nephews, Howie and Arthur, along with his niece, Jane, were close behind. It was a site Carol had only ever dreamed about. Jim and Sue were laughing at the antics as Carol just soaked in the moment.

Helen broke away, panting as she went to grab a cup of water. Carol deemed it best to follow, setting her empty coffee cup in the sink for later.

There was an odd blue light glowing faintly around her.

“Ms. Carol?”

Carol tensed and whipped around. The place where Helen stood was now occupied with a younger Helen. The girl looked confused for a moment, glancing around.

“Oh,” the girl said.

“Helen?”

Helen looked back at Carol. “This isn’t real, Ms. Carol.”

Carol blinked. “What?”

“It’s an altered reality,” Helen waved around, the air shimmering around her fingers. “I know because I can change reality too. I felt something funny and decided to investigate, and it led me here.”

What was Helen saying?

“You like it here,” Helen stated. “I can tell. It’s really nice here, too. I’d like to live here with you and Uncle Hal someday for real.”

“But this is real,” Carol protested.

Helen smiled at Carol. “No. Not really. Not yet. But it could be. Uncle Hal really loves you, Ms. Carol.”

Carol blinked back the tears, but they were beginning to fall anyways. “What makes you say that.”

“I see him,” Helen shrugs. “He stares at your picture sometimes. He also won’t go to restaurants if he went there for date with you. He talks about you a lot too. He really, really loves you, Ms. Carol. But he doesn’t think you love him.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because you share this reality,” Helen placed the cup of water in the sink. “You’re both here, dreaming of the same future. If you didn’t share a future desire, you wouldn’t be here at with him at all.”

“She’s right,” Hal’s voice washed over her. “I’ve always loved you, Carol. There was never anyone else.”

Carol turned to face Hal, now void of their son. She knew well enough that he had been listening for some time. He had probably come to check up on them both.

“You believe her?” Carol asked instead.

“Helen is a reality bender,” Hal explained. “I’ve known for a while.”

Carol sucked in a breath. Hal was crying too. It wasn’t just her, then. He didn’t want this to be fake any more than she did. But they both knew the truth. Helen did too. She was still smiling at them. Encouraging.

“I love you, Carol,” Hal said again. “It was always you.”

“And I love you,” Carol breathed.

“But we don’t have time to talk about this.”

“No. No we don’t.”

“Together?”

Together.”

And together, with Helen’s aid, they pushed through this fake reality. Though it was fake, it left them with the promise of the future. That was enough.

Of course, reality was a cold mistress, and the two found themselves faced with M’gann’s wail as she cradled something to her chest. Jon and Emiko were leaning unconscious against a wall, Emiko’s arms wrapped tight around Jon, and the latter having been significantly de-aged. The Anti-Monitor seemed entirely unamused. Then the Anti-Monitor was being attacked by a red blur.

\--------------------------

Dex knew this wasn’t real. He didn’t need the Blue One’s light to know it wasn’t true. While Dex longed for a family, and his rage stemmed from losing this one, he knew it wasn’t real. And that only fueled his anger. It wasn’t hard to realize that because his rage would not let him rest. His owner, his human, practically dropped him as Dex let his rage boil.

A faint blue light surrounded the room.

_“I love you.”_

“Dex?”

_“No.”_ Dex hissed. _“I am Dex-Starr. Of the Red Lanterns. And you are not my human!”_

“No! Bad kitty!”

That hurt. Dex would admit. But this human was not his. She was a fake. And boy did that make Dex’s blood boil.

“ _Wrong again!”_

Reality shattered around him and Dex charged at the Anti-Monitor.

_“I AM GOOD KITTY!”_

\--------------------------------------

Donna had moved first, throwing herself into Roy’s arms and kissing him deeply. Roy had reciprocated the action. Wally was there the moment Donna pulled back to breathe, pulling them both into a hug. And then Kori was joining too.

Jason and Connor stayed back.

“Jaybird, come on,” Roy called. “You too, Connor. Don’t be shy!”

“You’re not real, Roy,” Jason sighed. “None of this is real.”

The others seemed to jolt as the words were verbalized, like they were waking from a dream, but none of them let go of Roy. Roy gave Jason a sad smile.

“No, it isn’t real,” Roy admitted. “But…just give me a little longer. Please.”

Connor couldn’t take it anymore, and he instantly raced to the man that was practically his brother. Roy enveloped him with the others, leaving Jason to watch sadly. He was grateful for the domino as he cried. It wasn’t fair.

But when had life ever been fair.

Roy was suddenly standing before him, pulling Jason into a hug. Jason couldn’t resist anymore as he hugged back, holding on tight. Jason would scream to the heavens about how much he missed Roy if it would bring his best friend back. He would give his own life, too.

Jason sank to his knees, pulling Roy with him.

“I miss you,” Roy admitted.

“I know,” Roy said back. “I’m sorry I can’t come back.”

Jason gripped tighter, letting the others join once more as he sobbed. As they all sobbed. It wasn’t fair. They wanted, no, needed Roy back. It wasn’t fair.

\--------------------------------

The group of Titans were having a harder time bursting from their reality, but Anika didn’t have time to wait for them. Whatever they were seeing, the memories must have been fresh. She could feel Red Hood’s hope and, likewise, his despair at the image before them. She didn’t have time. It was risky, giving Kyle the hope of others, but she needed it to act as a catalyst.

She only had once shot at this. One chance to stop the Anti-Monitor.

“Kyle Rayner of the Green Lantern Corps! I implore you! Take the hope! Take the fear! Rage! Will! Greed! Love! Compassion! Take it all! Embrace your role as the White Lantern of the Universe!”

Kyle’s gaze snapped to her, and Anika released her ring’s power onto the man before her. She hoped beyond hope that she wasn’t making a mistake.

But Jason had said the answer would come to her.

\-------------------------

“Go,” Roy pressed.

“What?” Wally whispered.

“It’s time for you to go,” Roy stated. “To go back and save Kyle. He can’t do it so long as you’re all here.”

“But-!” Donna tried.

“No,” Roy shook his head, cupping Donna’s face. “It’s time to go.”

A blue light overcame them, destroying the reality around them, but this was followed by the white light that blinded them all.

“ROY!” Jason screamed, reaching for his friend as they were ripped away from each other.

Fake or real, Jason didn’t want to lose his friend. Not again.

“ROY!”

And then something grabbed his hand.

\-----------------------------

Kyle felt the hope wash over him, pulling him from being gone. But following Anika’s unleash of power, Dex-Starr was thrown at Kyle, and Kyle took the rage the cat felt. His soul reached out to Hal and Carol next, pulling their love and will from them. From M’gann he pulled a faint feeling of greed at her desire to have her home and world back. From Emiko, he pulled her fear of never being enough. Of being a failure. From Jon he pulled compassion that stemmed from love and time.

In the end, The Anti-Monitor miscalculated. In the end, Kyle had misjudged his own power. The power of the White Lantern was the strongest of all the Lanterns. So great, it pulled the souls of the dead back to life. Albeit, those souls had been taken over by the Black Lantern rings, but those rings had been created from that of Anti-Monitor himself.

The alter device broke instantly, and Kyle turned every single emotion he had on the Anti-Monitor.

“You’ve caused enough harm,” Kyle stated to the being of the sixth dimension. “I cannot kill you, but I can send you back to your dimension. Don’t bother coming back.

The White Lantern Light filled the cavern. And as it died down, the Anti-Monitor was gone.

Kyle collapsed to the ground.

“Kyle!” Hal was by his side instantly.

“Heh,” Kyle chuckled. “What took you so long?”

Hal snorted.

“Wha-Roy?”

Kyle turned his head to see Jason staring wide-eyed at Roy Harper, they’re hands linked. Huh. Kyle had felt Roy in the reality that trapped his friends, but he wasn’t sure if he could bring Roy back. Roy looked just as stunned as Jason did. But Kyle could worry about that later. Where was-oh. There he was. Emiko was helping Jon stand, the boy staring at himself in shock. Turning his head, he found M’gann beside them, a sound of shocking dying on her lips as she took note of the bundle starting to stir in her arms. K’hym slept peacefully, a little smile on her face.

Good. His work was done.

\---------------------------------

“I don’t understand,” Wally breathed again for what felt like the millionth time.

Kyle had passed out shortly after he defeated the Anti-Monitor. Leaving all of them with unanswered questions. Roy Harper alive. K’hym J’onnz alive. Jon Lane Kent back as a ten year old. Hal had gone as far as to reach out to Helen to assure they were not in another alternate reality. DNA tests had been done. Memory checks. The works. Everything they could think of had proved that the three people before them were real.

“I just…” Connor shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he turned his gaze hopelessly to the unconscious Kyle. “I don’t-”

“Perhaps we should all get some rest,” Anika supplied. “Dex and I are not as…emotionally attached. We’ll stand guard and come get each of you once we have an answer.”

_“The blue one’s words are wise,”_ Dex agreed, rubbing up against Jason’s legs. _“But if it soothes your souls, might I offer help.”_

“By all means,” Wally said, still sounding rather hysterical.

_“The true power of the White One is still unknown,”_ Dex seemed unfazed by Wally’s outburst. _“But, if you will all recall, the war of the Black Ones shed some light. This anti-monitor was the power source, and the yellow one took power from the white power to save the black ones. He brought them back. The anti-monitor created illusions and the white one brought back this one.”_

This was said pointing to Roy, who seemed puzzled. It would also explain the presence of K’hym, who had been dead as well. J’onn was going to have a heart attack when they got back once he saw his daughter in M’gann’s arms.

“And Jon?” Emiko asked.

_“Trickier,”_ Dex stated, now on Jason’s shoulders, where Jason was scratching the cat’s head to ground himself. _“But he was already tampered with. The anti-monitor fixed him, and if there was any tampering, the white one washed it away.”_

“What the heck are we going to tell Uncle Clark and Aunt Lois,” Jason finally blurted out. “Wait. No. Forget that. What the heck am I going to tell Damian!?”

“How do you feel, Jon?” Kori turned to the boy she had grown to love. “I imagine this must be difficult to grasp.”

“I’m…okay…I think,’ Jon shrugged sheepishly. “I mean, I feel weird, and I can remember what it was like to be seventeen, but it this also feels so natural. Like this is what I’m supposed to be.”

Emiko shivered, remembering what she had seen.

“Forget Clark and Lois,” Connor was saying to Jason. “What the heck am I going to tell Dad and Dinah!?”

“What about Lian!?” Wally supplied.

“Forget them!” Donna butt in. “What are we going to tell the other Titans?”

Anika giggled as the group began to freak out, doing the exact opposite of what they originally intended to do. Except for M’gann, whose emotional well being coupled with her mental state had seriously been all over the place. She had been an absolute mess when she found K’hym staring at her shortly after the shock of Jon and Roy was over. The two Martians were curled together, fast asleep on a medical cot.

On the other hand, Hal and Carol had gone to discuss what they had seen in their warped reality. Anika had a feeling they would be a while. These events were a lot for everyone. So, when Kyle did finally stir shortly after the others were bursting into hysterics, Dex gave a growl that had them jerking towards Kyle.

Poor guy was still adjusting to being awake again as he was bombarded with questions.

Anika would admit she laughed a little.

Of course, everything had to go wrong right after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! The promised note at the ending of this book! Don't worry, I reminded myself.
> 
> So, as you all can tell, this is part of a trilogy, where several stories will link together, hence why this book feels incomplete. Because it is!!! Yay!!!
> 
> Right, so, I'm going to take a slight break before I post the second part of this trilogy, so I can edit the second book and finish the rough draft of the third book. Once I get that done, I'll post the next part of this trilogy. 
> 
> But I promised that I'd give you an update on the plan so far, so here it is: Once the trilogy is finished, I'll be doing tow more oneshots (one will be funny, and the other will be informative), and then I will be taking a break from posting so that I can work on a much larger book that will basically be the turning part of this series. It may not be posted until after New Years, and given the amount of notes I have for this larger book, it's gonna be a while before I finish it. So hold on to your seats, cause I'mma take you all on a ride.


End file.
